Peatland Science Centre

The water level regulates the exchange of climate-relevant trace gases. At near-natural water levels, the material balance is positive, i.e., more CO2 is absorbed through photosynthesis than is released through plant and soil respiration. With drainage, the ratio is reversed, and the peatlands become the largest sources of CO2, depending on the uses to which they are put. Depending on their condition, CH4 and N2O are also emitted. Therefore, the recording, modeling, and scaling of the effects of climate mitigation of different land use options on peatland soils are a research focus at the PSC. For this purpose, specific monitoring systems are being developed that enable transparent monitoring of the success of the measures. This also includes success controls of rewetting, i.e., the proof of climate protection performance in the area, which can only be provided by the PSC on a scientific level.

Assigned projects: MOORuse, KliMoBay, MOORclimb, MOORclimb-II, MoorBewi, MooRe, MoorKulap.

The water level is the key to assessing the functional performance of the peatlands. Naturally, the average annual water level in the bog is about 10 cm below ground level. Based on many years of research by the PSC, this value has been found to be optimal both for the establishment of typical peatland vegetation and for the balance of trace gases and thus the climate effectiveness of the peatlands.

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• Water level map: In cooperation with the TUM, the Climate in Moor Areas (CIMA) project produced an up-to-date Bavaria-wide peatland water level map. All available water level measurements were included and scaled up to Bavaria using a statistical model approach.
• Water level indication with vegetation types: In principle, water level measurements should always be carried out before and after measures to monitor the success of renaturation measures. However, this is not always possible and has not always been carried out. In order to delimit the hydrological impact area according to measures, the indication of surface water levels with vegetation types is also applied. On this basis, the PSC then calculates the predicted climate relief performance as part of the success monitoring of the renaturation measures. The further development of a remote sensing-supported impact area calculation of water level changes will be tested until 2025.
• Control techniques: The key to restoring ecosystem functions is rewetting. This is achievable via various control techniques: retention and ditch closure, controllable weirs (Freisinger Moos - FSM), subsurface irrigation (FSM, Königsmoos), drainage retention (Karolinenfeld experimental station), overflow (Langenmosen), discharge (Günzburg).

Assigned projects: KliMoBay, MOORclimb, MOORclimb-II, MoorBewi, MooRe, MoorKulap, MOORuse.

Peatlands provide habitats for many specialists and, with them, rare and threatened animal and plant species. They are, therefore, a focal point for the protection and conservation of biodiversity. In the case of a change in use (e.g., rewetting and subsequent conversion to paludiculture), the effects on biodiversity must be recorded and assessed. Results from the MOORuse project, for example, show that various species groups, especially fauna, benefit greatly from paludiculture.

Associated projects: MOORuse, MOORclimb-II, KliMoBay, Alpine Moors

Agriculture aims at yield and productivity. In peatlands with classic management, this is only made possible by drainage. However, this jeopardizes the fulfillment of other ecosystem functions, and the peatlands become significant sources of climate-relevant trace gases. In addition, drainage leads to peatland subsidence and thus to the finite nature of management. Therefore, the aim is to maintain the production function with wet management and to develop a long-term perspective for management. Here, wet grassland management and especially paludiculture such as reed canary grass, tall sedges, reeds, or cattails with high permanent productivities (up to 10 t DM/ha*a) are an alternative that can contribute to soil value conservation. The extent to which paludiculture can sustain this productivity, which was determined in the MOORuse project, is currently being researched in the NAPALU project.

Associated projects: MOORuse, MoorBewi, MoLaKlim, NAPALU.

Grassland can be classically utilized in the wet management form, provided that the energy content is given by appropriate species and variety selection. For paludiculture, there is a wide spectrum of utilization possibilities, which includes energy utilization (thermal and biogas) as well as material utilization (building materials, paper substitutes, peat substitutes, plant charcoal, etc.). Currently, the recycling options are developing very dynamically, as a wide variety of companies are looking for substitutes for wood fiber-based products. Some products are already ready for the market, others are currently being developed further. The key to a successful market launch is, on the one hand, a permanently reliable purchase of paludiculture biomass and, on the other hand, a rapid establishment of production facilities. The demand for paludiculture-based building boards, especially in the construction industry, is increasing and can become a major driver for the establishment of producer-recycler networks. Here, options for establishing value chains have been explored in the MOORuse project and are being explored in the MoorBeWi project in cooperation with the LfL.

Assigned projects: MOORuse, MoorBewi, MoLaKlim.

Only if wet management is profitable for land users, relevant areas will be converted to these forms of management. One key will be the peatland farming program expected for 2024, which will cushion the conversion to wet management financially. The contribution margins calculated by the PSC in the MOORuse project will be used to determine the appropriate funding levels. The duration of the funding should be as long as possible. On the one hand, this makes it easier for land users to plan, and on the other hand, the positive effects on ecosystem functions can be made available for as long as possible - ideally permanently. Current results from the MOORuse project suggest an economically viable value creation for certain product lines from paludiculture.

Associated projects: MOORuse

Certification can serve as a means to generate additional funds from the private sector for peatland protection and to utilize them in areas where climate protection through peatland conservation has been hindered due to insufficient funding. Thus, well-designed certificates can be another valuable tool in peatland protection. However, stringent technical standards with criteria such as additionality, permanence, and monitoring must be adhered to. In the projects at the PSC focusing on CO₂ certificates from peatland protection, concepts for CO₂ certificates are being developed to meet the highest international standards while being applicable regionally. This approach aims to expedite the implementation of peatland protection projects. Certificates are being tailored for both the voluntary market and the Bavarian state government, which intends to utilize CO₂ certificates to offset its unavoidable emissions.

Assigned projects: CO₂-regio, moorbenefits 2.0 (LENK)

Climate protection through peatland conservation can manifest in various forms. The primary focus lies in restoring water levels to a near-natural state, as this is crucial for minimizing emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases. However, the management of each area may necessitate customized solutions. For instance, raising the water level on grasslands can be accompanied by grassland extensification, thereby enhancing its climate protection impact. The rewetting of arable land can be paired with a conversion to grasslands or the establishment of paludiculture. Ground-mounted PV plants on rewetted soil are also conceivable but under strict conditions: rewetting must be a prerequisite for the approval of such installations, with nature conservation criteria, such as the protection of meadow-nesting birds, being taken into account. Additionally, abandoning certain areas to restore them to their natural state could yield highly positive effects on the typical moorland biodiversity. Consequently, detailed scenarios for a spatially and substantively differentiated climate protection approach for Bavaria's organic soils are being further developed.

Peatlands owned by the Free State of Bavaria are to be developed as pioneers and best-practice examples into climate protection areas in accordance with the requirements of the Climate Protection Act.

Assigned projects: MOORuse, MoorBewi

The PSC facilitates the continuous transfer of state-of-the-art technology and knowledge on climate protection and peatland conservation for practitioners and decision-makers. This includes application-oriented knowledge transfer through contemporary channels and platforms such as:

• Homepage
• Factsheets
• Position papers
• Social Media
• YouTube
• Presentations
• Webinars (i.e. Peat Talks)
• Conferences
• Demonstration sites

Additionally, policy advice is provided by the scientific and technical institution, supporting the faster implementation of research results into practice.

A key aspect of accelerating peatland conservation lies in adequately training technical staff. This is where the PSC focuses its efforts. The PSC's research is integrated into the HSWT's education, particularly in the Master's programme Climate Change Management, where future experts are trained to undertake this significant governmental task on a large scale.

Apart from traditional teaching methods, moor-related final theses are regularly conducted within the framework of PSC research projects. Furthermore, modules such as webinars are prepared for further training professionals in the peatland sector, enabling the PSC to disseminate current knowledge and state-of-the-art practices.

Assessing the regulatory function of the climate relevance of peatlands necessitates recording the exchange of the climate-relevant trace gases CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O. This is because climate protection through peatland conservation can only be based on reliable emission values in relation to water level and use.

This core competence of the Peatland Science Centre dates back to the development of the manual bonnet system in 1998. The bonnet technique, which became the standard for recording the climate relevance of peatlands in German-speaking countries, has been utilized in various projects, providing the basis for national reporting to the Framework Convention on Climate Change. Additionally, the PSC is actively involved in standardizing calculation and modeling methods to harmonize data processing.

Furthermore, to reduce personnel input and achieve higher temporal resolutions of flux measurements, automatic bonnet measurement systems are being developed, such as the globally unique automated and self-propelled bonnet measurement system created in collaboration with a measurement technology company in the MOORuse project. The PSC also utilizes the eddy covariance technique in four measurement areas to capture large-scale effects, particularly in high-growth vegetation types like forests.

Associated projects: MOORuse, MoLaKlim, ICOS, MoorBewi, KliMoBay

The establishment of a permanent research facility like the Peatland Science Centre ensures the continuity of monitoring at various sites, including the peatland research station in the Freisinger Moos and the ICOS measuring sites. These stations form the data basis for peatland research and are essential for assessing the effects of peatland management on climate impact.

Assigned projects: MOORuse, ICOS, MOORadapt; MoorBewi, MoLaKlim, NAPALU

The PSC is equipped with a soil-plant laboratory for determining classical parameters and saturated/unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Additionally, the phytochamber laboratory conducts germination experiments, while the gas chromatography laboratory analyzes gas samples collected in the field for CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O concentrations. This laboratory also serves as a test room for field technology maintenance and calibration.